Remember Me
by Operation Zero
Summary: It's been three months since Maximum Ride disappeared without a trace. When Fang and Angel set out on a mission to find her, they come face to face with a new enemy and a new Max with almost no memory of her family, or the first two months of her disappearance. The flock will do everything they can to help her get her memories back, and Fang will do everything to regain her love.
1. Chapter 1: Determination

**A/N:** Hiya, everyone! My name is Zero and, well, it's been a while since I've written anything like this (or anything at all, for that matter). Basically, a lot of things have been happening lately to me and to my family, and I've spent a lot of time writing. One of the things that I decided to start writing was this Maximum Ride fic. I've always been such a huge fan of the series, and I'm hoping that this fanfic will get positive feedback and some steady readers.

Oh, and another thing! I've been on medical leave from work for nearly a month, and at the moment I have plenty of time to update my other works so please, if you have the time, feel free to read my other stories on here as they should be updated quite soon!

 **Synopsis:**

It's been three months since Maximum Ride disappeared without a trace. When Fang and Angel set out on a mission to find her, they come face to face with a new enemy and a new Max with no memory of her family, or of the first two months of her disappearance. The flock has a new goal ahead of them. They'll do everything that they can to try and help Max regain her memories, and Fang will do everything that _he_ can to regain Max's love for him.

 **Disclaimer:**

I do not own the Maximum Ride series or any of the characters involved (aside from the new enemy and any OC's I decide to insert).

Thank you for reading!

* * *

 **Remember Me**

 **Chapter 1: Determination**

"Fang, man, you have to take a break."

The new leader of the flock sighed in distress as he closed the laptop shut and gently set it aside. It had been three long months since Max had gone missing. Since then, the second oldest member of the flock had spent the vast majority of his time trying to track her down. He had even resorted to utilizing Angel's mind reading abilities to see if she could locate their leader, but to no avail.

"Come on, the rest of the flock is outside playing ultimate kickball," Iggy said, motioning towards the front door of their current safe house. Since Max's disappearance, the flock had been staying with Max's mother, Doctor Valencia Martinez, and her half-sister, Ella. Never had they stayed in once place for so long. Usually, within a few days to a week, some sort of enemy would manage to track them down and attack. Not this time, however. Three months without a good fight, something that was almost unsettling to Fang. Either their enemies had given up at long last... or they already had what they wanted.

"I'm never going to find her," Fang mumbled, raking a hand through his chest-length black hair. It had grown quite a bit since the morning that they all realized Max was gone.

"Hey, that's quitter talk," Iggy argued, leaning against the wall next to the door. "Fang, this is Max we're talking about. If she's not the toughest person we know, then I don't know who is."

"Three months!" Fang shouted, slamming his fists down onto the table in front of him, causing coffee cups to shudder and spill their contents. "It's been three months, Iggy, and there's been no sign of her. Yeah, she's strong, but even Maximum Ride isn't invincible. None of us are."

A brief silence settled over the two boys as Fang casted his gaze upon a nearby window, where he saw the youngest three bird kids and Ella playing kickball together in the front yard.

Sighing, Iggy made his way to Fang and rested a comforting hand on the stressed teen's shoulder. "I know Max is out there somewhere, Fang."

"Ever the optimist, Ig. You want to tell me how you know that?" Fang asked, a tinge of annoyance in his voice. The grin on Iggy's face almost gave Fang a slightly renewed sense of hope.

"Because you're still looking for her. If something that bad had happened to Max, we would all know."

 _Fang, Iggy is right._

The sudden shock of a voice being projected into his head caused Fang to flinch. He glanced out the window for a second time, making eye contact with nine-year old Angel.

 _Please don't give up. Keep looking for her. I know you'll find her. We have to find her..._

Even from so far away, Fang could see the tears that were beginning to well up in her small baby-blue eyes. Sure, Angel was known to be somewhat of a tyrant, and she and Max had butted heads pretty badly on more than one occasion. When it came down to it, though, Angel was always going to be Max's little girl.

 _Don't worry, Angel. I'll find her. I'm going to find Max and bring her home_ , Fang thought, a small grin turning up the corners of his mouth.

With a new air of determination, Fang rose from his seat and made his way past Iggy into the kitchen. He opened up the cabinet under the sink and pulled out one of the survival packs that Doctor Martinez had prepared for them in case of an emergency.

"Fang? Hey, what are you doing?" Iggy asked, frowning as the blind seventeen year-old turned in Fang's direction.

"I need her back, Ig. _We_ need her back. I'm leaving to go find Max. You're in charge of the flock while I'm gone," Fang said much to Iggy's surprise.

"Hold on," Iggy protested, grabbing Fang's arm before he could walk out the door. "You're not seriously going alone are you?" he asked, frowning. "Come on, man, have you even thought this through?"  
Fang was silent for a moment, contemplating whether or not the choice that he was making was the right choice. Of course, Fang knew there was only one right choice for him. He was going to leave and find Max.

 _I'm going to bring her home._

Without so much as a single word, Fang wrenched his arm out of Iggy's grasp and stormed out the front door. All eyes turned to him, looks of confusion shown on every face but Angel's.

"Fang? Are you okay?" asked fifteen year-old Nudge, concern coating her voice as a look of acute fear took over her facial features.

"I'm fine," Fang said pointedly. He kept his focus dead ahead and unfurled his sleek black wings that measured fourteen feet from tip to tip.

"Where are you going?" asked the Gasman, Angel's eleven year-old brother.

"On a trip. Iggy and Max's mom are in charge until I get back." ("Sure, put the blind one in charge," from a very irritated Iggy.) "Gaz, no blowing things up. Angel, try to keep the freaky mind control thing to a minimum, and Nudge, no impromptu fashion shows. Total, be a good dog," Fang said, smirking at the small black talking Scottie with wings. It almost gave Fang chills, how much he sounded like Max when giving the flock orders. She had always been the one barking orders and keeping the others in line. He supposed that all of them had learned a thing or two from her when it came to being a leader.

"Fang, wait!"

All eyes quickly focused on the youngest little doe-eyed flock member as she suddenly spoke up. Worry immediately filled Fang as he saw the expression on her face, the defiance in those shimmering blue eyes. The worry only grew as he watched Angel snap out her fluffy white wings and put her hands on her hips.

"I'm going with you," Angel said in a tone that told Fang that she wasn't taking no for an answer. _I can use my abilities to help you pick up any traces of Max_. This time, she spoke inside of Fang's head, flashing him a proud smile. For a brief moment, Angel looked like a tiny winged superhero.

The boy clad in dark colored clothes opened his mouth to try and argue with her, but then shut it almost immediately. Whether Fang liked it or not, he knew Angel had a good point. Not only could she scan the surrounding areas for any of Max's thoughts that might happen to be floating around, but she could also use her future-sight to try and lock on to any visions of Max, of them finding her.

"Fine," Fang said in defeat after several moments of mulling it over. "You can come with, but we're doing things my way," he explained, and Angel nodded in agreement.

"What's going on out here?"

Doctor Martinez made her way out of the house, combined looks of both concern and curiosity flashing across her face. She eyed Fang and Angel, the bag in Fang's hand, the looks on the faces of the other flock members, and she crossed her arms over her chest like any mother would. "Explanation, please."

"Fang's taking off to go find Max," Iggy said pointedly before Fang could get a single word out. He would get Iggy back for that later. "And Angel's going with him."

"What?!"

Everyone turned to Fang. Doctor Martinez with worry, Nudge with tears in her eyes, Gazzy with surprise displayed clearly on his face, Total with disappointment and Ella with what seemed to be excitement. Iggy remained somewhat stoic, his jaw set as he waited for whatever argument was sure to ensue.

"Fang," Doctor Martinez began before the dark haired boy cut her off.

"Look, this is my decision. Max is a part of the flock, and we never leave our flock behind!" With every word, the volume of Fang's voice rose higher and higher. "Three months is long enough! I'm going to find Max whether you like it or not. We need her back."

"Did it ever occur to you," Iggy began, interrupting Fang, "that Max might have been the one who left us? We know she's probably still alive, but maybe she wanted to disappear." Iggy's face twisted in anger, brows furrowing as he clenched both of his fists.

"Dammit, Iggy, shut up! Don't say crap like that!"

Everyone seemed startled by Fang's outburst. Nudge and Gazzy quickly moved to hold him back from the strawberry-blonde, one grabbing either of his arms.

"Max wouldn't just up and leave, Iggy," Nudge said calmly as she and the Gasman struggled to hold Fang back. "She would've at least left a note, or told someone. She doesn't like when we split up, so why would she leave?"

Nudge's question seemed to calm the air as everyone realized that she was right. On several occasions, the flock had split up for one reason or another, and almost every single time Max seemed to be the one to bring them all back together. Max would never purposely leave the flock or her mother and sister, which meant the one thing that they had feared the most. Max had been taken from them, kidnapped, and Fang needed to find her now more than ever.

"I'm sorry," Iggy said, staring blankly at the ground. "If you're so dead set on doing this, then do it. Just bring her back, man."

Fang grinned, putting a hand on Iggy's shoulder just like Iggy had done for him earlier. "Right. Angel and I will bring her back." Fang turned to Angel, exchanging looks with her before she nodded. "Ready?"

"Ready."


	2. Chapter 2: Puzzle

**A/N:** Welcome to Chapter 2! I apologize for how short this chapter is, but for those of you who have read the Maximum Ride books in their entirety, you know that the books occasionally have chapters that only span over two or three pages (if even that).

This chapter focusses mainly on the "new enemy", but rest assured that the next chapter or two will be all Max (the next chapter will be for sure)!

On a side note, this fic hasn't exactly taken off the way I hoped it would, but I'm sure that if I keep it going pretty steadily, I'll pick up some more readers and reviews!

 **Disclaimer:**

I do not own the Maximum Ride series or any of the characters involved (aside from any OC's I decide to insert).

Thank you for reading!

* * *

 **Remember Me**

 **Chapter 2: Puzzle**

"Sir, I'm not sure I quite understand what you're getting at."

The young girl tucked a strand of long black hair behind one ear as she eyed the large monitor in front of her, where a video of the subject was playing on repeat.

The subject in question was a girl with long blondish hair, and a pair of massive wings that extended from her back. The screen showed her running, pumping her arms and legs as hard as she could, then throwing herself into the air with one down stroke of her wings to get away from something. _To get away from them_.

"Sir, we let her escape. It's been a month, and we haven't sent anyone to bring her back or even look for her." There was worry in the girl's voice, worry that was reflected evenly in her deep blue eyes.

"Ricki, relax," said the man standing beside her. He stood several inches taller than her, with shoulder-length firetruck red hair and unnatural piercing red eyes. "Believe me, if I had wanted her here at all, she would have never escaped in the first place. It's all part of the plan."

The girl, Ricki, raised an eyebrow at the man. Her worried demeanor changed almost entirely as she put her hands on her hips and cocked her head to the side, long black hair spilling over her shoulders. "And what exactly is the plan?" she asked, pointedly. "For crying out loud, Shane. Why do you always have to be so cryptic?"

Laughter tore from Shane's throat, a malicious grin turning up the corners of his mouth. "Because, it's just more fun that way!"

There was something in his eyes that caused Ricki to flinch, something about the look on his face and the way he carried himself that raised a number of red flags in her head. She couldn't help but wonder how she had wound up in her current position, the lowly assistant of a complete psychopath.

The white coats had told her that she was destined for so much more, that her creation was of the utmost importance. They had made her feel like all of the training and the tests were completely worth the constant pain and exhaustion that she had felt. They treated her like their princess, like their prized weapon. Until someone came along and took it all away from her.

"As I was saying," Shane said sharply, causing Ricki's trip down memory lane to end abruptly, "this is all one giant puzzle. I have no interest in bringing her back into my custody at this point in time. Not until I get what I want. Not until she leads me right to the rest of them. Then, the pieces will all fall into place and the real game, the end game, will finally begin."

Ricki's eyes widened, her breath shallowing as things slowly began to click together. "You... You're just using her as your pawn. That's why you had me kidnap her that night, so you could wipe her memory clean and start off this little game of yours with a blank piece. She didn't escape at all. _You let her go_."

Rather than respond, Shane turned his back to the dark haired girl and made his way towards a tall stack of mixed papers and files sitting on a computer desk. He shuffled through a small section of the stack until he found the file he was looking for.  
"Maximum Ride," he said as he opened the dust covered manila folder. He took out a number of loose papers and carelessly let the folder fall to the floor. "Roughly seventeen years old, she's the leader of a group of five other avian-human hybrids who call themselves The Flock, all of whom have a wide array of unique abilities." Shane set the papers down, his back still facing Ricki. "They are the ultimate recombinant successes," he said in a mocking tone. "Hah. I hope they're ready to prove just how successful they are. When I'm done with them, they'll wish they were never created. When I'm done with them…"

' _They probably already wish that they were never_ created,' Ricki thought to herself as Shane trailed off. They were recombinant lifeforms just like she was, and many of the hybrids that she had come across shared one common thought. They all wished that they had never been brought into this world, into this life of constant pain and fear inflicted on them by the people in white.

"Ricki!"

Ricki jumped at the sound of her name, eyes wide as she looked to the man standing just inches away. "Yes sir?" she said on instinct, silently cursing herself for being so obedient.

"Since we're on the topic of Miss Maximum Ride, I have a job for you. It's one that I'm sure you're going to love."


End file.
